Means for operating bascule-bridges.



L. L. KELLER, MEANS FOR OPERATING BASGULE BRIDGES.

l 4 AIPLIOATION FILED APR. 4, 1910. V 1p047,950. Patented 1366.24, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEETI.

l QM, a Za @E l L j@ NN /Q M o. L. KELLER.

MEANS FOB. OPERATING BASGULE BRIDGES.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 4;1910.'

Patented Dec.24,1912.

t CHARLES L. KELLER, orrori/reitet), yILLINOIS,assiefivoR To scHnRziiR ROLLING LIFT' 'ti-Narnia safarnsggigrianr OFFICE'.

BRIDGE CO'MIEANY,y OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR OPERATING BSCULE-BRIDGES.

To all inkom 'it 'may concern:

-Be it known that I, CiiAnLns L. KELLER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county 'of Cook and State lof Illinois, have invented certain new and 4bascule bridges, and more specifically to they operating mechanism for giving movement to the bridge leaf to open and close the bridge. n

Theobject of the invention is to improve the operating mechanism for bridges of this type, and the inventionconsists vin the matters hereinafter set forthy and more lparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

I have herein shown my improvements as lao -applied to` a bascule bridge of the trunnion type in which the leaf or span swings upwardly about a trunnion or t-runnions suitably supported on the bridge pier, but said i improvements may be applied to other types of bascule bridges, as a rolling liftv bridge.

In the drawin s, Figure 1 a. side eleva tion of asingle eaf bridge embodying my invention.` Fig. 2 is a plan view of the `slioreward end of the leaf. F ig. 3 is a side elevation of the bridge, showing a modified form of the operating mechanism. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the shoreward end of the bridge shown iniFig.

' As shown in the drawings, 10, 11 designate the inner` and outer shore piers and 12 the leaf or span ofthe ,bridgesupported on said piers and a Ypier 13 located at the inner or lifting end of the leaf. The lea t consists principally of two trusses, one on each side of the roadway, each embracing upper and lower truss members 1t, 15 respectively, joined by transverse struts and diagonal braces 1G and 17 respectively. I have not herein.,'shown the approaches or approach structures at the ends of the bridge, but it will be understood that they may vbearleaf is pivoted atits shoreward end or trun- `Specification. of Letters Patent. Patented Dec,'24, 1912. Application led April 4, 1910. Serial No. 553,460.

nions 18, 18 which are suitably carried by truiinion supporting pieces 19 suitably fixed to and supported on the inner shore pier 10,

and about lwhich the rising end of the leaf swings when the bridge is opened and closed. IVhileiI have herein illustrated a single-leaf span .it will be understood that my improvements may be embodied in and adapted to a two-leaf span wherein the leavesmeet each other at their inner ends, asis common in this class of bridges.'

Referringv now tothe operating mechanism by which the bridge is .opened and closed, and to the counterweightv devices for coiinterbalancing the bridge, and more especially to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the same are made as follows: Lo` catednin rear ofthe leaf at the shoreward end thereof, and supported on the piers 10 and 11 are counterweight and operating machinery siipp'orting frames consisting of upriglits or ppsts 20, 20 supported on the pier 11, one at each side of the roadway, diagoiial members 21, 21, extending from the tops of the uprights or posts 2() to the pivoted end or heel of the leaf, and horizontal tying beams 22, ends of. said posts 20 and said diagonal members 21 and through the inner ends of which the bearing t-runnions 18 extend.' The vsaid frames embrace also horizontal members 22, 22 extending rearwardly from the i upper eiids'of said iiprights or posts, and

vdiagonall brace members 23, 23 extending from the outer ends of said horizontal meinbers to the lower ends ofl said posts. Said frames are further braced by two diagonal brace members 24, 25. The said supporting frames may be tied together by horizontal members 2G, 27, tlieformer extending be-l tween and attached to the upper ends of the members 21 and the latter extending be tween and attached to the rear" ends of the .machinery supporting beams or members 22. The frames thusconstructed carry movable or swinging counterweight supporting frames, to which, in the ,construction shown in Figs.- 1 and 2, are rigidly fixed curved segmental racks that cooperate with pinioiis of the operating inachinery support ed on the stationary frames, and through the 4medium of which the leaf is giveiiniove- Said ment'to open and close the same.` swinging rack and countorweight carrying 22 extending between the lower ioo.

i frames are made as follows: The movable as supported by means ot" suitable hangers Vrack sectors, embracing parts of the operor swinging rack and counterweight carrying frames may be pivoted 4on the upper ends of the posts 2O to swing toward and from the leat'. They comprise rack sectors Q3, 23 which are arranged in the planes of` the trusses of the leali, as best shown in Fig. 2, vertical strut members 29, 29 attached at their upper ends to the upper ends of the rack sectors, horizontal members 30, 30 at-v tached to the lower ends of the rack sectors and diagonal members 3l, 31. Said frame members are iixed rigidly together at their inner ends, and are arranged radial to and are pivoted at their connected ends on pivot. pins 32, 32 mounted on the upper ends of said posts 20, 20. are concentric with the pivot pins-32. @Phe ating mechanism, thus constitute parts of ,frames of The teeth ot' said racks the swinging frame of the bridge structure. The said rack sector frames are connected with the leaf by means of diagonal links 33, i 33 arranged in the planes of the trusses and pivoted at their lower or inner. ends to the upper members of the trusses by means ot' pivot pins 3l, and at their upper, outer ends by means of other pivot pins 35 to the inner -ends ot extension members 36 and 37 which constitute part ot the rack sector trames and meet at their inner ends for pivotal connection with the links 33, 33.

Ll() designates a counterweight which may extend between and be supported. in anyr suitable manner from the rack sector Jframes,` thel said counterweight being herein'shown 41, ll xed to said sector frames. The counterwcight when thus attached to the rack carrying Yframes aii'ords means for rig-` idly connecting said frames to brace them against lateral stresses.V Other supplemental bracing means may be employed as required or found convenient.

The operating machinery forgiving motion to the leaf to raise and lower .the same, and the operating motor or motors are supported in any suitable manner on the horizontal members 22' or" the machinery supporting frames, as by the platform lf2 extending` between said members 22. Said operating mechanism embraces pinions 43, t3 which meslrwith the teeth of. the rack 'sectors 28, and said pinions are connected by i suitable intermediary speed reducing gears with the driving motors i4 which may be mounted on said platform 42 between the iframe members 29. As herein shown two ot the driving motors are employed, and

u described,

are geared to the main driving shaft v45, which latter is in turn geared to said pinions 43 in the manner shown inostclearly in Fig. 2. A single operating motor `may be l used if desired. `When the lent" is in its` closed position, it is supported on. innell shore pier 10 and the pier 13, and the counterweight and its supporting frames are s upported on thel outer shore'pier 11, through the posts 2O of the stationary or li'xed thebridge structure. ln this position of the parts the members 21, 33, 37 and the oblique end ofv the upper truss member of the leaf constitute a parallelogram, the links or members 33 of'which constitute tension-members and the bracesQl compression members. Upon movement of the operating machinery to open the bridge, the engage.

ment of the pinions 43, e3 with the racks of the rack sector carrying frames swings said frames downwardly and outwardly, and the connection of said frames with the leaf, through the medium of the links 33, raises the outer or lifting end of the leaf about its trunnions'lS at the inner end or heel of the leaf.Y The open position of the bridge is indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1,*in which position the rack sectors 28 have traveled throughout the limit ot their movement and the counterweight holds the leaf in its open position. A reverse rotation ot' tie pinions 'operates to lift or swing upwardly the rack sector and counterweight carrying frames, thereby permitting the bridge to close under the control of its operating machinery.

It will bevobserved that a part of the mechanism for giving movem/ent to the leaf is carried lby the swinging counterweight frame and is applied to the trame in a simple manner which insures that the operating mechanism will be maintained in proper alinement with the bridge parts to elfect a direct application of power on the swinging leaf in a manner to avoid lateral binding strains. or stresses being brought upon the relatively movable parts ot' the bridge structure. Moreover the arrangement avoids the rie'd by the movable partot' the'bridge, theA use 'of which adds to the weight to be lifted and .avoids the unstable conditions of the structure involved in the use of such operating struts in bridges ot' the kind illustrated.

In the construction shown in Figs.l3 and 4 the operating mechanism, including the operating machinery and racks, isreversed with respect to the construction heretofore in that the racks are mounted on the stationary frames and the operating machinery `is carried by the swinging frames.. As shown in said figuresl` the stationary frames,compr1sing the up'rights or Iposts 20, the diagonalmembers 21, tyingmembers 22, are provided Vwith rearxwardly extending radial members 50, l, 52

and the -which are rigidly connected at their inner ends tothe upper ends of said posts and are connected at their outer ends with stationary rack sectors 53, 53 constituting fixed parts of the stationary bridge structure frames Anecessity ot'einploying operating struts carner on the uprights or posts 20.

'like i'natcrial.

and arranged outside of the planes of the leaf trusses and provided at their lower ends withl extension braces 5ft that are"y rigidly attached to the uprights or'posts 20 at the lower ends of the latter. In the cnstruction shown in said Figs. 3 and et the= fralmes which, lin the irst described construction, carry the counterweight and gear sectors, are arranged to carry a counterweight and the operating machinery, the machinery being shownas supportedon the counter- AThese swinging frames comprise radial members 55, 56, 5i' which are rigidly connected together at their meeting ends, at the'upper ends of the posts 20, and an .outer deflected member 58 to which the outer ends of sai radial members are ixedly attached. The'said frames are arranged 1n theplanes of the trusses of the leaf and are pivpted at their' inner connected ends to pivot pins 60 supported in any suitable inanward ends of said frames are connected by theilnrks 38 with the upper members of the leaf trusses, as ir the construction before' described, said links being pivotally con nected to the uppertrusses by pivot pins 61 and to the swinging frames by other.. pivot- 'ins G2. The said frames are strengthened or reinforced by brace members 64, 65. The counterweight 67 may extend between the swinging frames and may constitute 'a connecting member by which said swinging frames are rigidly connected together.

\The operating machinerywvhich coperates with the rack teeth of the rack sectors is shown as mountedon a platform (38 fixed to the upper side of the counterweight.

Said operating mhchinery embraces pinions 6), (il) which mesh with the teeth \of said rack sectors and lare connected by intermediary reducing gears to koperating motors 70, 70 supported on said platform (i8. In this construction the said pinions move downwardly along the rack-teeth, while rotating, q

whereby the c'ounterweight and its swinging frames are carried downwardly and operate through the medium of the links 33 to raise the lifting end of the leaf.

the bridge leaf. The bridge is closed under the control of the operating macl'iinery in the same general manner as heretofore described in connection with Figs. l and 2, the said pinions moving upwardly along said t, rack.

teeth during the closing movement/'of the leaf.

The counterwcight, when arranged as herein shown, may comprise abox which is filled with suitable material to give the.

proper weight thereto, or may comprise metal mcml'icrs reinforced by concrete or I The counterweight is located wholly above the clearance line of the bridge,

i. and its arrangement is such that it is wholly The forrI'heflotted linesv in Fig. 3 indicate the full open position ol` ing frame.

above bthe Hoor of the approach structure when the leaf is in its open position, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. l and '3,

The details of the bridge, aside from the parts thereof immediately associated with ,my invention, have been omitted for the sake of clearness-of illustrating the essential, features of the invention. It will be understood, however, that the. details illustrated are capable of` variation within the scope of the invention, and the'inventionis not limited to such details except as hereinafter made the subject of vspecific claims.

I claim asmy invention.

l. A bascule bridge comprising a swinging leaf and operatingmechanism for raising and lowering said leaf, the bridge structure embracing also at its shore end a stationary part and a swinging parte, the latter'pivotally connected to the stationary part and to the swinging leaf, said operating-mechanism beingrprincipally located on the side of the stationary bridge structure part rei mote from vsaid swinging leaf'and embracing a curved' rack that is fixed rigidly to one of said structure parts and a piniongthat is rotatively mounted .on the other of said structure parts and meshing with said rack.4

2. A bascule 'bridge comprising a swinging leaf and its pivot, rack and pinion operating mechanism for the leaf, abridge structure exterior to the leaf embracing a movable part that. is pivotally connected to the leaf, a stationary part upo'n which the movable partis pivoted, and a counter weight carried by said movable part, the rack and pinion' mechanism being principally located exterior to the stationa ry part of the bridge structure and the .mesh/ing with' said rack, and a counter weight acting on said swingingframe. 'I

4l A. bascule bridge comprising a swingin/g leaf, fixed trunnions ,about which the leafY swings, a stationary frame exterior to the shoreward endof the bridge, a swinging frame pivoted thereto and connected to said leaf, andoperating mechanism for raising and lowering the leaf, located exterior to the stationary frame aidmounted in part n the stationary frame and in part on the swing- A bascule bridge comprising a swinging leaf, fixed trunn'ions at the heel of the .ros

1Q tivelyy mounted on said xecl frame engaging leaf about which the leaf swings, a xed] frame exterior to the shorewarol end of 'the leal", a swinging frame pivote@ heieio above the level of Suid 'trurmions zuid connected no Said leaf at :1. point above and forward of its li'mmions, and operating mechanism :for niising and lowering' the leaf Comprising e curved wel( fixed on Sayid. swinging frame eX- terior to the fixed frame and a pinion retasaid 1fz\cl ,m1d a counter weight carried by said swinging frame.

In testimony, that claim the foregoing es my invention I affix my sigimtuie in the pl'eence of two Witnesses, this first dey of April A. D., 1910.

CHARLES L. KELLER.

Vitnesses:

F. F. SOULE,

ROMAN ARZMAN. 

